"Philosophers are concerned with making themselves useless."

- Dalí ten Hove, Diaforlife contributor

UNPO The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization

By UNPO Member on 21 February 2013

The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) is an international membership organization that was founded in 1991 in The Hague, the Netherlands. It is a unique organization comprised of Indigenous peoples, Minority groups, and unrecognized or occupied territories from all over the world.

UNPO has 42 Members that are all from different parts of the world and have different cultural backgrounds. However, they have one aspect in common; they are not adequately represented at international fora such as the United Nations. Our Members often suffer from pervasive discrimination by States, which do not recognize or respect the rights of minorities. UNPO and its Members strive to promote and protect their human and cultural rights, their environments and to ease the effects of conflicts. UNPO has five basic principles: nonviolence, human rights, democracy and self-determination, environmental protection, and tolerance. Through these five principles UNPO tries to make a difference and improve the situation of these unrepresented nations and people.

UNPO plays an essential role for its Members and its work consists of various activities. The organization supports its Members in participating in international fora such as the European Union and the United Nations. UNPO arranges capacity-building programs for its Members for them to gain knowledge on human rights, self-determination, nonviolent methodology and international law. This provides UNPO Members with the tools and knowledge to effectively participate in international institutions, where they can promote their causes. UNPO also facilitates advocacy to the EU and governments institutions to establish ties with major political groups. It is a crucial task to raise awareness of the Members internationally and UNPO does so by supporting them through these projects.

Many of UNPO’s Members are still facing critical situations and UNPO is there to help them gain recognition for it and improve their possibilities in the world.

About the author

Christina is from an African country where people live in poverty surviving only day by day, and where unemployment is the most serious problem affecting young people. Her desire for a new life encouraged… Read full bio